Regional Economic Communities (RECs)

Member States

Status

Year of Establishment

Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)

Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia

In progress to eliminate tariffs & non-tariff barriers. Not yet set date for FTA

17 Feb 1989

Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)

Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia

At the stage of coordinating and harmonizing activities among member states

4 February 1998

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Burundi, Comoros, D.R. Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Seychelles, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Custom Union though there are member states who has not yet signed even the FRT protocol

8 December 1994

East African Community (EAC)

Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda

Customs Union

7July 2000

Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Rep., D.R. Congo, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Rwanda

Free Trade Area

1 July 2007

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

Free Trade Area and it was envisioned to create the Customs Union by 2015

28May 1975

Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

In progress to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers. Not yet set date for FTA

25 November 1996

Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Angola, Botswana, D.R. Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Free Trade Area

1992